The Goodness Of Dr. Olusola Saraki ~ Femi Fani-Kayode

Like everyone else in the country I was informed about the death of the Waziri of Ilorin, Dr. Olusola Saraki, on the morning that he passed on and the news saddened me immensely. This is because he was one of the greatest, kindest, most compassionate, most generous and most selfless leaders that we have ever had in this country. His power and influence stretched from the Second Republic when he was the Leader of the Senate on the platform of the NPN up until today. He made the dreams and aspirations of many come true and throughout his life he brought nothing but smiles to many faces. He was my late father’s close and loyal friend and he was like a father to me and so many others. This is not a good time for him to go because Nigeria needs him now more than ever and we shall all miss him dearly. My heart goes out to the Saraki family. I mourn with them and I stand shoulder to shoulder with them today. Like the biblical David said about the passing of King Saul, I am constrained to say about the passing of the great Oloye Olusola Saraki, ”how are the mighty fallen in the midst of battle. How are the mighty fallen and the weapons of war perished”.

In Shakespeare’s famous play ”Julius Caesar”, whilst trying to warn Caesar about the prospect of death, Calphurnia said ”when beggars die there are no comets seen.The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes”. Caesar responded promptly and appropriately by saying ”Cowards die many times before their deaths.The valiant never taste of death but once”. Dr. Saraki was not a beggar or a coward. He was a prince in every sense of the word and since his passing not only have many comets been seen, not only have the heavens been blazing forth his death but the whole of Nigeria has been mourning him. What a befitting honour this is and none is as deserving of such honour as the Oloye. Like Julius Caesar, he did not fear death even though he must have known, like Mark Anthony said in that very same play, that ”the evil that men do live after them, the good is often buried with their bones”. With Saraki there was no evil but plenty of good. And those of us that he left behind must not allow that ”good” to be ”buried with his bones”. It is just one example of that ”good” which I intend to share with you in this essay.

If the truth be told many wonderful things are often said and written about great and powerful leaders in Nigeria after their passing. Some of these things are true and some are not. Yet In Saraki’s case I assure you that these things are really true. The following story that I am about to share with you is not only an eloquent testimony to that but it also proves the fact that Dr. Saraki was not only a truly great, compassionate and kind man but that he was also selfless and sensitive to the suffering of others. In early 1998, during the turbulent yet dying days of General Sani Abacha, a promising and brilliant young journalist by the name of Mr. Tunde Oladepo, who at that time was the Abeokuta Bureau Chief of the Guardian Newspaper, was brutally murdered by agents of the Federal Military Government in his home in Abeokuta and in the presence of his wife and two very infant children. The murderers wore masks and committed the crime in a terrible way that is best left to the imagination of readers. I will not repeat those sordid details here. What I will say is that no-one deserves to die in that way. After butchering Tunde the three murderers went over to the wife and children, who had been in the same room whilst the killing was taking place and who witnessed the whole event, and removed their masks so that she could see their faces clearly. They seemed to relish in the pain that they were causing her and the fear that they were instilling in the children. The point that they were conveying to the young bereaved widow, like all predators and beasts often do after their kill, was one of total impugnity. They were saying that ”we have done this to you and your family, you have seen our faces and yet you are utterly powerless to do anything about it”. This was the height of cruelty and after their horrendous display of callousness and brazen power and control they left the house. Yet the torment for the Oladepo family had only just started.

A little background would be helpful here. Tunde had been murdered simply because of his stringent and uncompromising support for NADECO and the fight for the realisation of the mandate of Chief M.K.O Abiola who had won a free and fair Presidential election in 1993. Nigeria was in turmoil in those days and there was literally a war going on between those that supported NADECO and Abiola and those that supported Abacha and military rule. Thousands of young men and women, mostly unsung and unknown, were murdered, tortured and driven into exile by the Government of that day simply because they stood on the side of righteousness, justice and truth. Tunde was one of such people. He was a great supporter of NADECO and he took great risks for his country, the cause of freedom and the cause of democracy. Sadly, in the end, he paid the supreme price for his stand. It was in that context, for that reason and with that background that Tunde Oladepo was murdered. Yet the torment of the Oladepo family did not end with his murder. As a matter of fact it had only just started.

I say this because what happened next beggars belief. During Tunde’s burial ceremony many came to honour him and of course they were most welcome. However to the utter shock and chagrin of his young widow and two young children, the three butchers that had killed her husband and that had also shown their faces to her after the murder turned up at the burial as well. Not only did they turn up but they also went over to the young widow and, with a wicked smile, whispered their ”commiserations” into her ears. This was not only frightening, bizarre and macabre but it also had the intended effect. Mrs. Oladepo was completely terrified and was frozen into silence by fear and trepidation. Had they come back to kill her and her children too? Did they have unfinished business with them? Was the pain and torment that they had inflicted on her family not enough? These were the questions that shot through her mind. Yet she had the presence of mind, courage and discipline to hold her peace knowing that if she didn’t she may invite instant death upon herself there and then and upon her children. What a strong lady she was. Once again she got the message from her tormentors loud and clear. And the message was the following- ”we kill, we bury, we destroy, we are above the law, we are untouchable, we control everything, we can get away with anything and there is NOTHING that you can do about it”. Such was the nature of those that killed for Abacha and such was the clime of those dark, evil and dangerous days.

After the burial and after all the mourners left Mrs. Oladepo soon found out that she and her two young children were all alone in the world. Not only did she fear for her life but she also feared for the future of her children. She had no means to live, she had no business and she was finding it difficult to get all the dues that were owed her husband. Worst still all those ”big men” (and I have their names) that her husband had supported and fought for in NADECO and most of his old friends turned their back on her and offered her nothing in terms of encouragement, substance, protection or support. She had no money and no way of surviving in a country that was exceptionally dangerous and that was in deep conflict and turmoil. Worst of all she knew that it was only a matter of time before the assassins came back for her and her children because she had been forced to see their faces, not once but twice. She and her two children were the only living witnesses to their homicidal butchery and therefore they presented a real threat to them. The ”system”, like the mafia, does not leave witnesses alive for long and they always tie up loose ends. It was only a matter of time and she knew it. Her only recourse was to secretly flee from Nigeria, just as many other NADECO widows and fighters had done, and seek greener pastures and safety elsewhere until the evil had passed. Yet for this she needed resources and support and there was none forthcoming from anywhere. She was literally in despair and every day was a nightmare for her. She was deserted by all and she literally had to fend for herself and her two little children on a daily basis. These were indeed difficult days for the young widow because she had no money and all hope seemed lost. All she could do was cry, hope against hope and pray to God. Then things suddenly changed.

She was sitting in her house one afternoon and there was a knock on her door. She welcomed the strangers in with some trepidation, not knowing who they were or who sent them. There were two men. They told her that they worked for Dr. Olusola Saraki and that they had been sent to her by him. They said that he did not know her husband and had never met him before but that he had read about the murder and terrible tragedy in the newspapers. They said that he felt moved by the fact that Oladepo had left a young widow behind and two infant children and that consequently he had sent a token of sum of money to them to help them at that difficult time. They handed over 250,000 naira cash to her (which was a lot of money in those days) and then promptly left. Mrs. Oladepo was overwhelmed and she knew that this was an answered prayer. Now she had the resources to leave Nigeria and, with the support of the NADECO network, she could move to the relative safety of Ghana and from there, with the support of NADECO and the Canadian Embassy in Accra, get a visa to Canada and settle there permanently with her family. This was her dream and it was the only way in which she felt that she could survive and protect herself from the madness that had gripped Nigeria at the time. She made all the necessary arrangements and effected her plan within a matter of days. Mrs. Oladepo was smuggled through the NADECO routes and arrived in Accra in early 1998. That is where I had the privilege of meeting her and hearing her remarkable story. She was taken care of in Ghana by a tightly-knit, dedicated and committed group of NADECO operatives there led by Mr. Bunmi Aborisade and Chief Tunde Edu. Bunmi is a good friend of mine and he was a brilliant and fearless journalist in Accra who at that time the editor of the Ghanaian Independent Newspaper. Sadly and ironically Bunmi’s own dear mother was also murdered in brutal circumstances not too long after this as well. Many have paid a heavy price for the democracy that we enjoy in Nigeria today and most of them are not appreciated. Yet patriots like Aborisade were rare and utterly fearless and selfless. Without them the struggle against Abacha could not have been kept alive and they, more than anyone else, with their strong links with the Ghanaian government, the Americans and the Canadians ensured that Accra remained a safe-haven for NADECO sympathisers and operatives and a tough and very dangerous place for the supporters of Abacha.

It was these same NADECO operatives that helped Mrs. Oladepo to stay in a safe house in Accra, protected her, encouraged her, supported her and, most important of all, liaised with the Canadian Embassy over there to ensure that she got the necessary permits and visa to be able to relocate to Canada as a political refugee with her two children permanently. During her stay in Accra Bunmi, Mrs. Oladepo and her two beautiful children did me the honour of joining me and my family in our home for dinner. As she told her story tears ran down her face, just as they did that of my darling wife Regina’s. We were all moved and as she spoke there was pin-drop silence at the dinner table. She kept saying that she did not want anyone’s pity because she knew that God would see her and her children through. This was a woman of tremendous beauty, dignity and remarkable faith. Furthermore this was a powerful and moving testimony of God’s power and grace. It was clear that given the circumstances that she was in and all that she had been subjected to, the fact that she managed to even get out of Nigeria safely with her children was in itself a miracle. We all gave thanks to God and then she said the following. She asked me whether I knew Dr. Olusola Saraki and I told her that my family had been associated with the Saraki family for many years and that he was a good friend of my late fathers. I also told her that my younger sister Mrs. Tolu Fanning (nee Fani-Kayode) was the best of friends with Mrs. Gbemi Saraki-Fowora who was Dr. Saraki’s first daughter. She was very happy when she heard that and then she told me that had it not been for the kindness and generosity of this man that she had never met before and that had never known her husband, that she and her children would never have been able to escape Nigeria with their lives. She asked me to please thank him for her whenever I saw him again and to convey their deep gratitude to him. After that she prayed for him for almost twenty minutes and we all thanked God for Dr. Saraki’s compassion and kindness. God had used him to touch their lives and deliver them from evil. It was a wonderful evening and we had a great dinner.

A few weeks after that Mrs. Oladepo and her children were granted all the necessary permits and flew to Canada where they live safely and happily till this day. I had not heard from her in almost 10 years and then all of a sudden she sent me an email almost two years ago and told me that she and the children were very happy and that they were doing very well in Canada. Once again she thanked God for the kindness shown to her by the NADECO operatives in Ghana but most of all she thanked God for Dr. Olusola Saraki. She also asked me if I had conveyed her message to him and to my eternal shame, even though I actually saw Dr. Saraki on many occasions after my return to Nigeria from self-imposed exile in 2001 and especially after I joined President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Government in 2003, I had failed to do so. I told everyone and anyone that cared to listen this story whenever Dr. Saraki’s name came up anywhere over the last 12 years and some time back I told the beautiful Senator Gbemi Saraki-Fowora the story over dinner and I conveyed the message to her. Yet sadly I must confess that, till the day Oloye passed on, I never told him the story or expressed the young widow’s deep gratitude to him directly. This was a failing on my part and that is one of the two reasons that I feel that it is appropriate to share it with the whole of Nigeria today by writing this article in his honour and relating the facts. It is now a matter of historical record.

The other reason that I have shared this story with members of the public is because it is a resounding and eloquent testimony to and proof of Dr. Olusola Saraki’s generosity and kindness. He did not know the widow or her children and yet he helped. He did not know that in helping he was literally saving their lives. He did not know that I or anyone else would ever find out. He did not know that this would be a subject of discourse or an essay after he passed on. He did it out of his love for God and humanity and it was done quietly without any fanfare. I have little doubt that Oloye did the same and perhaps much more for many others whilst he lived and I wonder how many of our leaders have the same kind of charitable and compassionate spirit as he did. That was Dr. Olusola Saraki for you and it is that kindness, that selflessness and that warmth of heart that spoke before God on his behalf all the days of his life. That was the secret of his success. He gave his substance that others may live their lives. He brought smiles and hope to many faces and families. He helped both the high and the low. Of him Shakespeare’s Mark Anthony could never say that his ”good are buried with his bones”. Nay, Dr. Olusola Saraki’s ”good” will speak for him forever. Not just for him but also for his dear widow and the matriach of the Saraki family, Mama Morenike Florence Saraki, and each and everyone of his distinguished and illustrious children and grandchildren. May the Lord reward him for his good works, may the Lord forgive him for his sins, may the Lord honour him with Heaven and may the beautiful soul of this kind, generous and charming son of Nigeria rest in eternal peace.

Great story but was he baba Oloye a member of NADECO or on the side of Abacha @ that time?who does he worked for.

Lanre Sharafa

Whether he worked for NADECO or Abacha is immaterial. The most important thing is that he lived a good life, he was kind and generous. Many have benefitted from him; what will the world remember you for when you pass on? That is crucial.

dapo kelvin

Unfortunately i neva liked Baba Oloye durin his lifetime,mayb bcos of his kind of politics.But one tin is certain,he’s very kind nd generous.My ilorin friends in my university days used to talk abt him in hostel den,they “ALL” dont deny one tin abt him,his Generousity nd Kindness to pple,especially d Poor.Have since change my thought abt him.God will surely reward him for every good tins he has done.

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Eye witness told our reporter that the explosion went off Friday morning near the parking area of tricycle operators know as Keke NAPEP in the market.
The scene is said to be strewn with bodies of victims of the blast.
Detail Later...

Meek Mill has finally broken his silence and released a diss track aimed at Drake. Meek's "Wanna Know" was premiered on Hot 97 last night.'Wanna Know' features production from Jahlil Beats who flipped the entrance music from wrestler 'The Undertaker' for the backdrop.
The song also includes a snippet of one of Quentin Miller's reference tracks for Drake and Meek adlibs, "Milli Vanilli ass nigga!" Elsewhere in "Wanna Know" the Philly rapper...

A bomb explosion has rocked a crowded motor park in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, residents and security operatives have said.
The incident occurred at a busy location where tricycles pick passengers, and may have killed dozens and injured even many more. The thunderous blast, which sounded at about 6:30am, resonated all over Maiduguri, residents say.
Witnesses later said the explosion occurred near the entrance of Gamboru Market where operatives of commercial tricycles park to...

...I'm taken by surprise, Akpabio cries out
... PDP will choose new Senate minority leader soon - APC
Shock and surprise were visibly written on the faces of counsels to former Akwa Ibom State Governor , Chief Godswill Akpabio as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday appeared before the Hon Justice Goddy Anunihu led Akwa Ibom State National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal at the Customary Court, Dutsen Alhaji ,Abuja.

The Director, Defence Information, Maj. Gen Chris Olukolade, is set to retire from the Nigerian Army, having reached his retirement age.
Olukolade is to hand over to Col. Rabe Abubakar next week as the Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Tukur Buratai, on Wednesday, approved the...

Angry workers of the Peoples Democratic Party have accused the members of the National Working Committee of the party of squandering N12bn in nine months.
Out of the total sum, the workers said N11bn was realised from the sale of nomination forms while N1bn was got from the sale of delegates forms.

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has appealed to members of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria against allowing themselves to be used by kidnappers to perpetrate evil.
Speaking on Thursday during the swearing-in of the new State Executive of the union in Ado Ekiti, the governor, who said he was once a ‘danfo...

The General Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has said that he is not expecting a ministerial appointment from President Muhammadu Buhari.
Bakare, who was the running mate of Buhari on the platform of the Congress for Progressive Change in the 2011 presidential election, also defended the President’s style of governance,...

The Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, on Thursday, caused a stir in the upper chamber when he revealed how he collected signatures of other senators to impeach the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, in the 7th Senate.
Ndume stated this while raising a point of order to draw the attention of the Senate to an...

According to Tribuneonline, a man who claimed to be a medical doctor, Taiwo Ogunlana and a nurse, Kafayat Oyekola, have been arraigned before an Ebute Metta Magistrates' Court, Lagos State, for carrying out an illegal abortion on one Miss Kemi Awoniyi.
Ogunlana, who claimed to have attended Lagos State University Teaching Hospital School of Nursing between 1979 and 1983, worked with the National Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos.
He was also said to have been...

Founder of the Enugu Adoration Ministry, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, while preaching at a special mass organized to celebrate his 20th anniversary in priesthood yesterday July 29th, offered prayers to God for President Buhari, asking God to protect him from enemies. He also offered prayers to God for the Enugu state governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi that God will not allow occultic men steal his vision
"I am praying for Buhari, that God will protect him so that enemies...

An Episcopal congregation in Queens was in for a big surprise recently when their priest Rev. Juan Andres Quevedo-Bosch, 59, came on pulpit to give Sunday sermon and announced that he is gay. The shocked congregation was further informed that he is divorcing his wife and marrying a younger man.
Rev. Juan Andres Quevedo-Bosch, is the archdeacon of Queens and rector of the Church of the Redeemer in Astoria,
On a Facebook post this week, the...

Two Zimbabweans accused of helping an American dentist hunt Cecil the lion have appeared in court amid growing anger over the protected animal's slaughter. Professional hunter Theo Bronkhorst (right) and local landowner Honest Ndlovu (left) allegedly assisted Dr. Walter Palmer, who has since received death threats, catch and kill the lion.
Dr Palmer claims he had trusted his local guides to meet legal guidelines on his trip to Africa, during which he shot Cecil with a...

Edo state governor, Adams Oshiomole who has been in the news in recent times over his allegations on the misappropriation of funds in the last administration, says he will not be silent when people are abusing power and stealing government funds.
Oshiomole, who was a guest at a seminar organized by the Post-Mortem sub-committee of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) yesterday July 29th , alleged that the Department of Petroleum Resources collected N30 billion illegally during the...

These are supposedly African Christians in Tripoli, Libya, who converted to Islam and joined ISIS in Libya. ISIS released the photos on social media. The men don't look like they willingly joined ISIS though. Looks like they told them "join ISIS or die!". More photos below...

Remember the pastor who made his members swallow snakes and eat cloth during one of his deliverance services? Well he is in the news again. Last Sunday while preaching in his church, he prayed the gay spirit into the young man pictured above. See more photos below...

Pantyhose is often called tights in the United Kingdom, some other countries call it sheer hosiery.
They are close-fitting leg wear, which cover the wearer's body from the waist to the feet.
Panty hose is considered to be a woman's/ girl's garment, it appeared in the 1960s as a convenient alternative to stockings.
Panty hose has remained an alternative to stockings and control panties. They are also gradually replacing girdles.
Pantyhose are usually made of nylon, or fabrics blended...

Gov. Nasiru El-Rufa'i of Kaduna State, says his administration has cut down overhead costs by 60 per cent as part of measures to rescue the state from its precarious financial situation.
El-Rufa'i, in a broadcast to the people of the state on Wednesday night, said that the state was broke and had a debt burden of more than N74.297 billion, comprising N28.840 billion domestic and N45.44 billion foreign debts.
He said that the administration had...

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has denied the allegation by the PDP that the Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Mr. Lawal Daura, is a card-carrying member of the party (APC), calling the accusation absurd and frivolous.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party challenged the PDP to publish any evidence it may have...

Some of us are still trying to put on liquid eye liner without looking like an octopus shot ink into our eyes. But for Magali Beauvue, a female makeup artist based in France, no makeup challenge is too great.
The beauty guru's Instagram page is a who's who of A-list celebrities: Kanye West, Oprah Winfrey, Drake, Eddie Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Caitlyn Jenner... Amazingly, these aren't Beauvue's clients. They're Beauvue herself, dolled up to look like just about every star you...

She is known for the enviable curves inherited by the rest of the voluptuous Kardashian clan.
But reality star Khloé looked slimmer than ever in a figure-hugging black ensemble as she posed for an Instagram snap for Popsugar on Wednesday.
Showing off her slender legs and nipped-in waist, the 31-year-old looked a shadow of her former self, no doubt the result of her recently increased workouts.
The fashionista, who is currently promoting her new children's wear...

She arrived Down Under in a blaze of Specsavers glory, fronting the optical retail chain's campaign for the smartest glasses wearer.
But despite Eva Longoria wearing glasses as the style ambassador and judge for the 2015 Specsavers Spectacle Wearer of the Year hunt, a Sydney newspaper accused her of 'pretending' to need spectacles to market herself and the brand.
The Desperate Housewives' star, 40, told Thursday's Kyle and Jackie O show of the Sydney Morning Herald claims: '...

Bobbi Kristina Brown will be remembered by her friends and family during a funeral service in Atlanta on Saturday morning. The private service will take place at St. James United Methodist Church in Alpharetta at 11am, with family members including her father Bobby Brown, aunt Pat Houston and grandmother Cissy Houston gathering to pay their respects.
Soon after her body will be flown to New Jersey, where she will be buried alongside her late mother Whitney Houston at Fairview Cemetery...

Miley Cyrus is hosting MTV's Video Music Awards this year and we can't help but be excited and nervous about what is going to transpire on that stage!
Judging from the 22-year-old's first video promo that she shared via Instagram, we expect Aug. 30 to be a night of controversy.
Watch promo below:
https://instagram.com/p/5sbypAwzPA/?taken-by=mileycyrus
Credit: intouchweekly

The Zonal Chairman, Independent Petroleum Marketers’ Association of Nigeria, Western Zone, Alhaji Debo Ahmed, has expressed its support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s probe of the activities in the oil and gas sector.
He hailed the administration’s plan to split the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, saying it would address the recurrent scarcity in the oil and gas sector.
Ahmed told newsmen in Ilorin, Kwara State that it was high time the sector was overhauled to...

President Muhammadu Buhari has said efforts being made by individual countries are not capable of tackling terrorism.
He said Nigeria and neighbouring countries must come together and join forces if the dream of defeating Boko Haram terrorists in the sub-region must come to pass.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, in a statement on Thursday quoted Buhari as speaking at a state dinner held in his honour at...

Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, frontline ex-Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND leaders, the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Niger Delta ex-militants and other stakeholders in the Niger Delta, yesterday, hailed President Muhammudu Buhari over the appointment of Brigadier Gen Paul Boroh (rtd) as the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.
Niger Delta ex-militants, who congratulated the newly appointed chairman of the Niger Delta Amnesty programme, said that Buhari had made a wise and deserved...

Barely two months into its new status as the opposition political party, having governed the country for sixteen years, the Peoples Democratic Party, has started struggling with the challenge of being an opposition, as it yesterday announced that the party will reduce allowances, staff strength by 50%.
The party has also said it would reduce the salaries and allowances of its staff by 50%, even...

Khloe Kardashian is throwing a whole heap of shade on anyone who has been dishing out criticism to her younger sister, Kylie Jenner recently.
In an interview with Complex magazine, Khloe slams people’s criticism of Kylie well-publicized lip fillers.
“Sometimes things bother her. When it comes to her lips, I knew it was one of her biggest insecurities. She used to always take pictures covering her...

Iyanya was asked in an interview with MTV Base VJ Ehiz ‘Real Talk’ about Yvonne Nelson and their public breakup. Here is what he had to say!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PbKplHXlyY
Source: MTV Base

Sharon Osbourne may come across as a laid-back liberal mother, but there is at lease one issue on which she remains staunchly conservative.
The former X Factor judge – whose husband Ozzy Osbourne and children Kelly and Jack have all battled drug addiction – has spoken out against plans to legalise marijuana, warning “it is going to end in tears”.
Sharon, 62, told American CBS TV: “I have big resentments that this is happening. Anything...

The highly anticipated meeting between Caitlyn Jenner and Kris Jenner has finally happened.
A source confirms that the two exes met at Caitlyn's Malibu house yesterday for their first face-to-face get together, undoubtedly an emotional moment for both.
Kris, who openly struggled with the news of Caitlyn's transition on Keeping Up With the Kardashians, is the last of the family members to meet Caitlyn. And although she stayed mum about Jenner's debut in the...

Soldiers of the 144 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, stationed at Asa in Ukwa West local government area of Abia State have shot dead a kidnapper, arrested two members of his gang, including a lady, and rescued a female victim.
Vanguard gathered that an Aba-based business woman, Mrs. Rita Anaekwe, was last Sunday night abducted at her residence on Anaekwe Street, Umuleta village, Obinkwu in Ukwa West local
government area.
Family sources said the hoodlums gained entry into...

If you’re low on funds for that big vacation, you could always ask to borrow money, make a Kickstarter campaign… or swindle a couple of Islamic State recruiters. It may not be the safest way to make money, but that’s what three girls from Chechnya, a Russian republic in southeastern Europe, did.
The Chechen girls are under investigation for fraud after they allegedly scammed ISIS members into giving them money on the pretense that...

Press statement from the PDP...
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at its meeting today thoroughly considered a number of very important issues pertaining to the state of affairs in our nation.
The NWC brings to the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari to some disturbing development in the polity which, if not nipped in the bud, might significantly affect our democracy and stability as a nation negatively, and that is the growing...

According to a recruitment document understood to be written by ISIS militants,the terrorist group plans for an all-out war to bring about 'the end of the world'.
Follow the jump for the full story and discovered document:
The Urdu document seen by USA Today, passed to the American Media Institute by a Pakistani citizen connected to the Taliban, reveals the scale of the ambition of ISIS, including targeting India to provoke...

The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, Hajiya Zainab Shamsuna-Ahmed, on Wednesday said between 2009 and 2012, about 160 million barrels of oil valued at $13.7bn was stolen under the watch of the national oil giant, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
She also said that subsidy payment from 2005 to 2012 indicated that $11.63bn had been paid to the NNPC but that “there is no evidence of the money being remitted to the federation...

The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, Hajiya Zainab Shamsuna-Ahmed, on Wednesday said between 2009 and 2012, about 160 million barrels of oil valued at $13.7bn was stolen under the watch of the national oil giant, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
She also said that subsidy payment from 2005 to 2012 indicated...

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has announced that the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries have been successfully re-streamed after a nine-month rehabilitation exercise conducted by its in-house engineers and technicians.
The corporation, in a statement, noted that both plants commenced preliminary production of petroleum products after successful test-runs, adding that while PHRC was ramping up its operation to about 60 per cent of its 210,000 barrels per day capacity, WRPC production was projected to hit 80 per cent...

The Federal Government has overruled the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on its new admission policy that recently sparked off protests in parts of the country.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr. MacJohn Nwaobiala, disclosed this to State House correspondents on Tuesday, after briefing President Muhammadu Buhari of his ministry’s activities and challenges at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
JAMB had, at its 2015 Combined Policy Meeting, adopted a policy whereby candidates of universities with...

Almost a year since the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 flight vanished mid-air during flight to China, wreckage found of the coast of Africa Officials revealed might be that of the missing plane.
The debris, discovered near to the island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean, is that of a Boeing 777, investigators confirmed.
The Malaysia Airlines jet - also a Boeing 777 - is thought to have come down in the same ocean on
March 8 last year.
Officials at...

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command on Wednesday arrested a 32-year-old graduate of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, Mr. Stephen Onona, in connection with the death of his close friend and employee, Mr. Daniel Solomon.
Onona is from Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State while Solomon was from Uruan LGA of Akwa Ibom State.
Onona was said to be an employee of Africana First Publisher, Uyo, where he worked for four years.
The Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom...

President Muhammadu Buhari has commended fiery Catholic priest, Revd Father Ejike Mbaka, for his patriotism in the run-up to the 2015 general elections, saying his courage has earned him a mark in the sands of time.
In a statement Thursday to congratulate the leader of the Adoration Ministries Enugu, Nigeria, on the occasion of his 20th priestly ordination, the President said history would favour Mr. Mbaka for courageously speaking truth to power, even at great risks.
In the statement signed by...

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday in Yaunde, Republic of Cameroon said to Nigerians to accept the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the oil-rich Bakassi penisular to Cameroon in good faith.
“Since Nigeria allowed the case to go to court and we lost, we have to abide by it” he said

There is massive shake up in the hierarchy of the Nigerian Army as the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Tukur Buratai appointed new General Officers Commanding the Divisions of the Nigerian Army as well as new Principal Staff Officers to run the affairs of Army headquarters.
Also appointed were...

The fuel supply route of the Boko Haram militants has been intercepted, and their new fuel supply seized by the fighter pilots of the Nigerian Air Force.
The Director, Air Force Information, Air Commodore Dele Alonge, said in a statement on Wednesday, July 29, that the Air Force seized 4,000 drums and jerry cans of...

Federal Government’s anti-corruption operatives have been sent after ‘super rich’ public officers who have multiple properties and other assets suspected to have been the rewards of graft.
The searchlight of the anti-corruption agents is on civil servants that possess many properties in the Federal Capital Territory.

D'banj looks smart in his suit, designed by Okunorenhe. He Wore a black suit, paired with neck chain, a wrist watch and shoes to blend the look. He wrote on his Instagram #SALUTE = Dress code + Work mode - Boss Mood #theKingIsHere
#TheKingIsHere ...feels good to be Bag in Lasgidi. Week 3 get ready..
Lagos are you ready for the...

...insist Akpabio not PDP candidate
...ex Governor's camp in disarray, Paul Usoro, Nwoko missing in court
The trial in the legal battle between Chief Inibehe Okori of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Chief Godswill Akpabio of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) commenced on Wednesday at the Customary Court, Dutsen Alhaji, Abuja. Three witnesses testified on Wednesday against the former Governor.
At the...

Malam Nasir El-Rufai, the governor of Kaduna State, has nominated 13 persons as members of the state executive council.
In a letter to Hon. Aminu Shagali, Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, El-Rufai requested the legislators to consider and approve his nominees. The governor also attached the indicative portfolios of the nominees in the interest of a transparent screening process.
The nominees are:
NamePortfolio
1 Professor...

Beyoncé, 33, and her hubby Jay Z‘s, 45, are more than ready to expand their family it seems. A new report claims that the famous duo turned to IVF to get pregnant for a second time. It’s been three years since they welcomed their daughter Blue Ivy, 3, so the timing couldn’t be better.
Speculation that Beyoncé is pregnant is back with full force! A new report claims that the singer is with child thanks to multiple rounds of IVF treatments. “Even though...